White Gold
Tank Louis Cartier 78086 — White Gold
Rare 18k white-gold 78086 — under 10 per cent of documented examples, all with serials in the first half of production and clustered in a few tight ranges (suggesting batch-made cases). One catalogued example has a Paris dial and a white-gold Cartier deployant clasp; 30 × 23.3 mm.
HODINKEE’s Anthony Traina estimates about 15,000 made (serials documented up to 14,xxx); production of the 1973 Louis Cartier Collection models ran into the mid-1980s. Three cabochon crown types follow the serials: Type 1 (tall, pointed) from the start to about 6xxx–7xxx, Type 2 (short, pointed) most common at 7xxx–8xxx, Type 3 (stubby, rounded) mostly 10,xxx–14,xxx. Running numbers recorded at Antiquorum span 0082 to 13966 (case Nos. 780860082–7808613966). Antiquorum’s decade estimates for these numbers are not consistent (e.g. 0082 “circa 1985”, 5169 “circa 1980”, 2657 and 13966 “1990s”), so no serial-to-year table is given.
Identifying details
Variants of 78086
Reference overview →| Variant | Production |
|---|---|
| Mk 1 Dial | c. 1973–? |
| Mk 2 Dial | c. 1974–? |
| Mk 3 Dial (Secret Signature) | Undated |
| Paris Dial | c. 1973–? |
Case & movement
- Reference
- 78086
- Production
- c. 1973–?
- Case material
- 18k white gold
- Case size
- 30 × 23 mm
- Movement
- Manual winding
Dial, bezel & hands
Unknown attributes are left out rather than guessed.